Irritable Bowel Disease
www.colon-cleanse-constipation.com
updated about 1 year ago
Irritable Bowel Disease is not actually a disease but acts more like a group of symptoms. Irritable Bowel Disease (also known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is often classified according to the following criteria:
Classifying IBS
- IBS-D (IBS with diarrhea)
- IBS-C (IBS with constipation)
- IBS-A (a condition alternating between the two)
Irritable Bowel Disease cannot be cured and can present a lifelong challenge of serious health problems while managing the symptoms. While Irritable Bowel Disease is painful and affects your daily life dramatically, it’s not a true degenerative disease and can often be mitigated somewhat by proactively managing your diet, reducing stress, and increasing activity levels.
Causes of IBS
For a long time, many physicians believed IBS was a psychosomatic condition, something that took place only in the mind of the sufferer. It was considered ludicrous that daily stress or acute panic could cause diarrhea or constipation. On the contrary, a number of physiological factors can aggravate the colon even if the exact causes cannot be pinpointed, and IBS can originate from induced stress as well.
Stress and anxiety can cause the colon muscles to contract suddenly, which could explain why someone with Irritable Bowel Disease might run to the bathroom whenever something stressful happens. People who deal with this condition can find ways to manage their stress as well, such as by seeking professional counseling or taking special medication, as a preventative measure.
Foods can also trigger IBD attacks. Certain foods or a lack thereof can be the basis for constipation or diarrhea. Abdominal bloating, cramping, constipation, or diarrhea can ensue. Many people deal with this problem by trying to live well and eat healthier.
Regular exercise is known to have a positive impact on your digestive health. Moving your body keeps your inner plumbing working smoothly.
Other colon healthy tips include:
- Reducing caffeine
- Eating plenty of fiber
- Cutting back on junk food
- Increasing hydration (water)
- Steaming or roasting foods instead of pan-frying
- Using healthy oils (reducing trans fat and animal oils)
Irritable Bowel Disease can be debilitating, causing you to lose time from work or prevent you from attending social events. This can take a hefty toll on your personal life and it can be embarrassing as well.
Of great importance is the need to have your symptoms diagnosed properly to determine if you have Irritable Bowel Disease or IBS. A very low percentage of people suffering from these conditions ever consult a doctor about them. Merely looking at repeated instances of diarrhea or constipation as “normal” is neglectful to your health. Many people try to self diagnose this disorder and that’s not a good idea. Many of the same symptoms can indicate a variety of digestive conditions such as:
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Food allergies
- Cancer of the stomach or intestines
- Ulcerative Colitis
A series of tests need to be completed to rule out other disorders before you can be accurately diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease.
Managing Irritable Bowel Disease
Diet and Exercise
Once a diagnosis has been confirmed, many doctors recommend you document your meals and snacks in a food journal for several weeks to help pinpoint your unique triggers. Your doctor will work with you to identify these triggers and develop treatment methods. If your trigger is fast or spicy food, for example, you should avoid these items to see if it helps alleviate your symptoms. If your triggers are stress induced, you can explore ways to reduce stress in your life. If you find that eating healthier foods and exercising often leads to fewer flare-ups, you can begin to clearly see the relationship between these factors and your ongoing prognosis. Thereafter, you can create a sensible health regimen to minimize the occurrences of the attacks.
Probiotics and Acupuncture
While IBS isn’t curable, much research is being conducted regarding this condition. Many people seek alternative health therapies to combat Irritable Bowel Disease. Some individuals have garnered success from taking Probiotic supplements as this helps replenish the population of beneficial bacteria within the digestive tract.
Our bodies contain good and bad bacteria. When the bad bacteria outnumber the good overwhelmingly, or the healthy flora isn’t present in sufficient quantities, we invariably endure the ill-health effects. Ingesting Probiotics via supplements or Probiotic yogurt has been demonstrating significant benefit for managing IBS.
Acupuncture has also shown some positive antispasmodic benefits as well. This ancient science of neural pathway technology focuses on stimulating nerve centers throughout the body’s systems to promote various curative effects. Since an irritable bowel can experience flare-ups via signals dispatched along these pathways, it makes sense these undesirable episodes can be suppressed as well.
Herbal Supplements
Some herbs (such as peppermint) provide soothing qualities for muscles in the digestive system; and this can create an antispasmodic effect to also help reduce bowel aggravation. Nonetheless, one should always exercise caution when it comes to the ingestion of herbs. Take the time to become knowledgeable of potential side effects and contraindications.
Organic Living
Because so many different causes and triggers exist for Irritable Bowel Disease, different people can react differently to environmental stimuli, foods, and medications. One individual might have a particular food sensitivity that another does not due to heredity. Someone could experience diarrhea while another person could suffer primarily from IBS-A.
Knowing your body’s reaction to certain foods can aid you in your efforts, as you learn to avoid the items causing you grief. Therefore, a positive outcome of learning to manage Irritable Bowel Disease is the advancement of healthy eating and exercise habits. Healthy living should become your philosophy, religion, occupation, and pastime. Regardless of your current social background, personal beliefs, or physical condition, you can arrive at a higher level of well being if you visualize that goal and then take steps to achieve it.
